Connecticut’s Annual Dinner Honoring Judges and Law Clerks

The Connecticut Committee of the Federal Bar Council held its annual dinner on October 8th honoring Connecticut federal circuit judges, district judges, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges, and their law clerks. There were over 75 people in attendance at the event, held at Tashua Knolls Club in Trumbull, Connecticut, including 14 federal judges and 25 law clerks. 

Federal Bar Council President Shawn Regan welcomed our honored guests and shared an update regarding upcoming Federal Bar Council events, including the Winter Bench and Bar Conference at St. Regis Hotel in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic, on February 1-6, 2026. (Registration is still available for the Winter Conference at https://www.federalbarcouncil.org/2026-winter-bench-and-bar-conference/.)

District Judge Victor A. Bolden introduced the law clerks in attendance and thanked them for their invaluable service to the courts. Judge Bolden also delivered remarks on behalf of the Connecticut district court. He shared with the group an important lesson in resilience from history: the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott lasted over a year, counting the time from Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a racially segregated bus to the time the boycotters returned to the city’s buses. Despite legal, economic, and even physical threats and actions taken to stop them, the boycotters persevered. Dr. King announced at the boycott’s conclusion: “We have seen truth crucified and goodness buried, but we have kept going with the conviction that truth crushed to earth will rise again.” ¹ Judge Bolden reminded us that their faith in American democracy had been “vindicated.” Judge Bolden concluded by remarking: 

Tonight’s event, the Federal Bar Council’s Connecticut Committee dinner, is a time to celebrate our deep-seated belief in the sustainability of American democracy, and the work that each of you do every day to help maintain the rule of law in the District of Connecticut. And so let me end this portion of my remarks by saying thank you!²

The dinner event also featured a guest speaker, E. Garrett West, professor of law at Yale Law School. Facilitated by the presentation’s moderator, Tadgh Dooley of Wiggin and Dana LLP, West engaged the attendees in a stimulating review of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket and discussed his recently published white paper,³ which presents potential rule changes to enable the courts to engage in abstract review (i.e., reviewing the constitutionality of legislation without concrete disputes about the legislation’s application) to better resolve important legal issues about the legality of federal and state legislation, administrative rules, and executive orders. The reforms proposed by West include presumptive stays pending appeal, certification from courts of appeals to the Supreme Court, a mechanism to transfer cases from federal district courts to the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction, and a specialized court composed of trial and appellate judges drawn from throughout the country to resolve certain challenges to major government policies. West’s remarks generated an active question and answer session involving many attendees.

The evening was a wonderful opportunity for our judges, law clerks, and Federal Bar Council members to meet in a collegial environment and to recognize the importance of our courts in maintaining the rule of law in our country.